BETHLEHEM  Environmentally conscious car owners in the Capital District recently had another location added to the slowly growing list of places to stop and charge up an electric car.

On Tuesday, Feb. 5, the owners of Tri City Rentals unveiled two new electric vehicle charging stations at their Woodlake Apartments complex in Guilderland on Old School House Road. The station is free for the public to use and reservations for a charging time can be made online.

Photo by Marcy Velte

An EV charging station at Woodlake apartments in the Office Manager's parking lot.

“The decision to introduce EV stations at Woodlake was an easy one,” said Tri City General Manager Tim Owens. “This not only provides a positive impact to our Woodlake community but also provides a positive impact for those in the Capital Region.”

The charging stations were installed by Plugin Stations Online and were paid for through federal and state grants. The New York State Energy Research and Development Authority also helped as part of a joint effort to get 325 new charging stations installed throughout the state.

“The need for electric vehicle charging stations is increasing as we see the automobile industry reshaping the way we think about our vehicles,” said John Doran, owner of Plugin Stations Online. “This NYSERDA program reflects the environmentally conscious effort New York State is undertaking and thanks to forward thinking companies like Tri City Rentals, we’re going to see more charging stations installed as this industry trend progresses.”

Owens said additional Tri City Rentals communities in Buffalo and Rochester also have plans to install charging station with the help of NYSERDA. He said locally, Woodlake Apartments was chosen because of its proximity to a major highway, local businesses and major areas of employment.

“Gas prices are going up to $4 and it could hit $5 again,” said Albany County Executive Dan McCoy. “This is the type of outside-the-box thinking that we need and I thank NYSERDA and Gov. Andrew Cuomo for putting the money in last spring to open these stations.”